- May 24, 2021
- By Victor Okogbo
- In Uncategorized
- 425
- 2
Working with any lifting equipment can be dangerous because equipment with moving parts can cause injuries in many ways:
So, the regulations require duty holders to make sure that when using any lifting equipment, the requirements of LOLER are met. For example, you should make sure that all lifting equipment is:
As a duty holder, therefore, it is important to follow LOLER when using lifting equipment to ensure the safety of the equipment and those involved in the operation. All the information you need to know when organising lifting is included in the Lifting Regulations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and Provision of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER).
Do not operate any lifting equipment unless
Do not
We have established that unsafe lifting practices which includes incorrect use of lifting equipment, result in numerous incidents every year, including serious and sometimes fatal accidents. The golden rules are not limited to the ones listed above and could also include:
Any person using lifting equipment must be trained in the safe use of that equipment. The person must also have a working knowledge of its capabilities and the defects likely to arise in service.
In every lifting operations care should be taken to ensure that the load imposed on any item of the equipment or on part of any item does not exceed its SWL/WLL. When there is any uncertainty about the weight of the load, or the load applied to a particular part of the equipment it is recommended that load sensors/load cells are used.
The lifting equipment should only be used for the specific purpose for which it is designed and should not be adapted for other purposes.
The use of lifting equipment beyond its SWL/WLL is strictly forbidden. Attention must be given to the avoidance of overloading, incorrect slinging and trapping of slings between the load and floor or associated appurtenances.
Fundamental part of legislation that requires all lifting operation must be planned and risk assessed to determine the nature and level of risks which must then be managed to reduce to them to as low as reasonably practicable.
When selecting lifting equipment, the working conditions that the equipment will be used in must be considered. The tasks that the equipment will be required to do (such as consideration of the loads to be lifted); and relevant existing risks as well as those risks that will be introduced with the new equipment must also be checked. The stability of the equipment for the proposed use such as hydraulic jacks should be stable during use under all foreseeable conditions.
Employers must provide suitable training to employees and must restrict the use of lifting equipment to trained, authorised employees. As well as training in the use of the equipment, employees must be aware of the hazards associated with the use of the equipment and in the control measures to be used to avoid or control the risks.
Training (and re-training) therefore forms an essential aspect of building the right level of competence to manage lifting operations and ensure that all the factors that guarantees safe lifting operation should be considered for every operation.
The regulations above provide specific guidance and requirements that focuses on the knowledge and training needed to develop skills, that when used effectively, will promote safe use of lifting equipment.
The main benefits of organised and structured training will:
The stages are listed below.
The first stage of all training comprises initial training and assessment, which is typically carried out at an onshore training establishment and identified as Stage 1.
After Stage 1, the level of competency is deemed sufficient for that person to conduct lifting operations – selection of lifting equipment under the direct supervision of a competent person as part of their Stage 2 training, i.e. supervised training and the practical application of the learning obtained in Stage 1.
This stage refers to an ongoing workplace assessment of competency. At this level, having covered the outlines of course in practice, the person can assume the level required to manage lifting operations.
This stage refers to the ongoing performance development with re-training as part of company overall competency system.
To conduct safe lifting operations to today’s high standards, employers must have a system in operation which permits personnel to progress through the stages to become competent to manage lifting operations and to maintain this competence.
Other training providers conduct a robust 2- 3 days intensive training which covers all the elements Safe Use of Lifting Equipment with particular emphasis on:
LEEA Certification
At JC International, our accreditation with OPITO, LEEA, IADC, ISO 9001 and other relevant professional trade associations, ensures we deliver training, certification and qualifications in accordance with awarding bodies and approved codes of practice.
Our focus as a prominent oil and gas training provider is to provide a world-class training and certification service to ensure that our candidates gain the required competence and realise their full potentials.
2 COMMENTS
Luke Smith
January 21, 2022, 3:43 am REPLYIt was great to know that overloading is prohibited when operating a lifting chain equipment. In an industrial working environment, the safety of the employees must be guaranteed. To do this, I personally think that machineries and other equipment need to be updated and maintained regularly.
Mia Evans
February 12, 2022, 6:21 am REPLYI like that you talked about how employers would need permits from personnel to ensure that they are able to conduct a safe lifting operation. I can imagine how important that would be, especially if we need boiler living services this year. It will give us peace of mind that any accident will be avoided and the equipment will be safe and have no damages when we get it moved to another area.